SecondLife.com

[BrownEyedBoy]

I was talking about this "program"/"game" with a friend and he decided to join just to see what all the fuss is about.

He says it really IS a second life. There are cops. There are jobs. There are night clubs. You can make real USD out of the game.

It just got me thinking: how far is too far with the virtual reality?

I´m sure there´s gotta be some geek at some basement who´s completely foregone his real life and turned his second life avatar into his only life. Another, funny little fact, my friend says there are no fat people in there even though you are quite capable of making your avatar "fat".

Thoughts, anyone?


Reuters is reporting news on secondlife.com apparently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqedz5uY0RY&eurl=http://www.slexlife.com/wordpress/

 

[BVS]

Interesting... I haven't really heard of this.

I'm sure like everything else virtual it will be hugely popular and then fade.

As far as forgoing one's real life, I'm sure that happens. Hell that happened even before secondlife. Make believe is easier for some folks.

But think of it this way, think of those who are quadriplegic; maybe this gives them a small chance of feeling like they have a "normal" life. Who knows?

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

But think of it this way, think of those who are quadriplegic; maybe this gives them a small chance of feeling like they have a "normal" life. Who knows?

Hadn´t thought of that at all. That´s pretty sweet.

I´m very - don´t really know what word to use here - impressed by SecondLife.com and the things that it does to be like life. There are crimes and policemen. There are games. My friend who signed on said he could see how it could become addicting. I´m kind of apprehensive because I already feel kind of geeky when I use message boards and secondlife would probably be me coming out of the geek closet.

I first heard about this site because I read an article about "Anshe Chung" who is really an american teacher who reported to have earned $1 million USD by selling virtual real estate.

 

[BVS]

I first heard about this site because I read an article about "Anshe Chung" who is really an american teacher who reported to have earned $1 million USD by selling virtual real estate.

That's the part I don't understand, how do you own virtual property?

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Here´s an article from business week that I thought was pretty complete: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm

I´m guessing Linden Lab creates server space or something and sells it to people who do stuff with that space and then resell it, I don´t know enough about scripts and coding and all that to appropriately say, though.

 

[Irvine511]

 

[U2lunatic]

There are also U2 concerts in Second Life but I don't understand it very well

 

[verte76]

Wow. Strange.

 

[intedomine]

A mate was tellin' me about it the other day...

It's crap. It's part of the misanthropy machine that is the World Wide Web, and it is ruining society.

The streets are emptying, the people are all caging themselves in their houses feeding their addiction....what is the world coming too...

Try and avoid it people, for your own sake...

 

[Ormus]

It's crap. It's part of the misanthropy machine that is the World Wide Web, and it is ruining society.

The streets are emptying, the people are all caging themselves in their houses feeding their addiction....what is the world coming too...

Try and avoid it people, for your own sake...

Personally, I think this is an overreaction. A hundred years ago, you could have referred to the telephone as a "misanthropy machine," because it allowed you to communicate with people without ever leaving your home.

Society changes. And that's a given no matter the generation. The internet has just created socialization at a global level, which is not at all a bad thing. And this will long outlive this "Second Life" fad.

 

[Vincent Vega]

When I was in Melbourne the streets were quite crowded.

As they are here in Berlin.

You can get addicted to everything, and computer games are no exception.
But it's only such a tiny number of people that really get addicted.

And the www can't be that bad, intedomine, you are using it yourself

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Personally, I think this is an overreaction. A hundred years ago, you could have referred to the telephone as a "misanthropy machine," because it allowed you to communicate with people without ever leaving your home.

Society changes. And that's a given no matter the generation. The internet has just created socialization at a global level, which is not at all a bad thing. And this will long outlive this "Second Life" fad.

melon, what do you think about second life?

 

[trevster2k]

I prefer this game.



http://www.getafirstlife.com/

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I prefer this game.



http://www.getafirstlife.com/

lol... "Fornicate using your actual genitals!"

 

[Ormus]

melon, what do you think about second life?

I consider it to be a more immersive form of social networking website. So if that's up your alley, then I'm sure it could be quite fun.

However, I tend to be quite disturbed over the idea of "virtual property," because it's completely illusory. One ultimately owns nothing at all, and I'm sure that the EULA would allow the owners of Second Life to terminate operations without notice, no matter how much "virtual property" one claims to own.

 

[Diane L]

I love Second Life.

Unfortunately, I can't play it from home, because my laptop is sick and my desktop, which has Mac OS 9.2, isn't powerful enough to handle its requirements. But I can play it at the library where I work, and I do so during my lunch/dinner break. I own three virtual pieces of land (can't afford to do so in real life!) and have attended virtual U2 concerts, which are a lot of fun.

I think there is tremendous positive potential in Second Life (SL) for educational purposes as well as a meeting place. Supporters of my favorite presidential candidate, John Edwards, have developed an Edwards '08 headquarters there, and my avatar is wearing an Edwards T-shirt right now. It is also easy and fun to make objects using "prims," and I enjoy attending classes to make things like furniture.

And yes, avatars tend to be lean and gorgeous. My avatar, Lola, certainly is that!

I love Second Life.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Í don´t understand the appeal.